ONHEIL was officially started in November 1999 , immediately releasing an already recorded demo-CD “Sterf”. With Holland’s and Belgium’s largest metal & rock magazine Aardschoks review, naming one of ONHEILs songs “one of the best Black Metal songs i’ve heard in a while”, ONHEIL was instantly put prominently on Holland's Metal Map.
January 2002 saw the release of the demo CD “We Hebben De Hel Gezien”, although it’s was more an album with it’s 53+ minutes playing time. It was again received very well and spreaded ONHEILs music more into Europe. Eternal Frost e-zine (USA) called the sound “Black Metal Iron Maiden”, a term still sometimes used to describe ONHEILs music and a good indication of the gradually change to a more diverse and melodic sound.
The success of the demo CD’s lead them to the signing of a contract with War Cry Productions.
The first official release, “The Threat” MCD, saw the light of day in June 2003. ONHEIL now belonged to the top of the Dutch (Black) Metal scene.
Unfortunately 2004 started with the leaving of the drummer. With the help of 4 different (session) drummers and a drumcomputer (!!!) ONHEIL succeeded in doing an amount of live-shows.
In 2006 the seed for the new, more professional beginning was planted. New and better instruments and equipment were bought, both multimedia (for cd-booklets, website design, videoclips, etc.) and recording studies were finished and a demo-studio was bought.
It is March 2007 when “The New ONHEIL” arises. Formed by the fusion between “The Old ONHEIL” and MARTYR, a melodic Black Metal band, having released 2 albums on American recordlabels. This new line-up has 3 guitarists and 2 lead vocalist giving them more possibillities to expand their own unique Blackened Metal sound.
In February/March 2008 a promoCD was recorded. Several labels showed interest and in the end German Cyclone Empire made it.
In July 2008 ONHEIL played at the the highly acclaimed Stonehenge Open Air and later they started working on their album “Razor”.
“Razor” was finished in March 2009 and will be unleashed this May!